When Should You Replace Your Wiper Blades?

Mar 16, 2021

When Should You Replace Your Wiper Blades?

When Should You Replace Your Wiper Blades?

When you think about car maintenance, you usually think of oil changes, filter changes, coolant top-ups, wiper blades tend to be the last thing that comes to mind. Wiper blades are invaluable and play an important role in keeping you driving safely.

They keep your windscreen clear, clean and unobstructed so that you have a full field of vision while you’re driving. Drivers neglecting their wipers because they assume they never need any maintenance is more common than you may think.

Why do I need to check my wiper blades regularly?

Windscreen wipers wear out, just like many other parts of your car. If you neglect to replace them when they start to become ineffective, you could increase the risk of having an accident should you ever be caught in a heavy rainstorm, or have mud or grease on your windscreen that can’t be cleared.

Failing to replace your wiper blades can also affect your car insurance as the insurer may not pay out because they will see you have neglected basic car maintenance. This emphasises why it’s important to be thorough in your regular car safety and maintenance checks!

How to tell if my wipers need replacing?

When you take your car for an MOT or service, they will let you know if your wiper blades need to be replaced but there are some obvious signs that you can look out for to determine if you need new wipers:

Squeaking/Screeching

Usually, your wipers will be silent if they’re working effectively, and sometimes if they’re in need of replacing you will be able to hear squeaking or screeching when in use.

Streaks

Have you noticed that your wipers are leaving streaks and smears across your windscreen? This is one of the common tell-tale signs of worn wiper blades and the smears are letting you know your wipers need to be replaced. Often this can also be due to blades being fitted incorrectly.

Wipers are missing parts of your windscreen

Are the wiper blades missing a specific section of your windscreen when it’s raining? Not only is it irritating, but it’s also extremely dangerous as it’s leading to blind spots in your view of the road ahead.

Visible damage

If you have found yourself nodding along to any of the above issues, you should also manually check your wiper blades to see if there is any visible damage to the blades, such as distortion and the condition of the rubber.

When should you change your windscreen wipers?

Windscreen wiper blades will need to be replaced as soon as you spot any of the above signs. If you need help finding a mechanic to help you fit new windscreen wipers, get quotes from MyCarNeedsA.com today! Get your quotes!

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